The Park Rapids Panthers's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight loss. They took a 74-68 hit to the loss column at the hands of Bemidji. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Park Rapids came into the match with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Minnesota basketball rankings (they are ranked 128th, while Bemidji is ranked 301st).
Park Rapids' loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Ryan Carroll, who scored 21 points along with nine rebounds, and Noah Larson who scored 22 points along with five rebounds. The match was Larson's sixth in a row with at least ten points. Noah Morris was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with ten assists.
Park Rapids' loss dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Bemidji, the victory makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 2-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Park Rapids will challenge Pillager at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Pillager knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past four contests -- so hopefully Park Rapids likes a good challenge. As for Bemidji, they will head out on the road to face off against Elk River at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.
